NEWS

Sino-Aussie Voice Rehab Center Planned

With support and investment from Shenzhen Huaqiang Group, a Sino-Australian voice rehabilitation center providing clinical therapy for laryngeal cancer and voice conditions will be set up in Shenzhen.

The center will integrate advanced research from the University of Sydney, Shenzhen University and local hospitals.

Representatives from the University of Sydney, Shenzhen University and Huaqiang Group inked a Memorandum of Understanding at Shenzhen University on 13th, witnessed by Shenzhen Vice Mayor Wu Yihuan and Paul Sanda, deputy consul general of Australia in Guangzhou.

The center, temporarily named Huaqiang Sino-Australian Medical Cooperation Center for Voice Rehabilitation, will specialize in conducting research and providing clinical treatment for laryngeal cancer, voice conditions and other ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases.

According to the chairman of the board of Shenzhen Huaqiang Group, Liang Guangwei, who graduated from Shenzhen University, his group decided to offer funds and urge cooperation between the two universities as cooperation in this area is relatively rare in China and the country does not have strong research and medical basis in the field.

“While visiting Australia a few years ago, I learned that Australia, and especially the University of Sydney, is quite strong in this field, while China, on the other hand, is weaker regarding research and treatment of voice diseases,” Liang said.

“I believe that by adding advanced technology and research from the University of Sydney to the efforts of Shenzhen University and local hospitals, the center will be an immense benefit to those who suffer from voice conditions,” said Liang.

According to the MOU, Shenzhen Huaqiang Group will invest 50 million yuan (US$7.25 million) in the next decade to support the rehabilitation center. Shenzhen University and its affiliated hospitals will build the center with support of the University of Sydney’s research and talents.

Michael Spence, president of Sydney University, also attended the signing ceremony, along with several professors from the university and doctors from Sydney.

“The program is very rare in the world as it brings many of the different disciplines that study the voice together, and they will not only study [the diseases], but also provide treatment,” said Spence, who thought that cooperation between the University of Sydney and Shenzhen could be further explored.

“We know that the health industry in Shenzhen is growing very quickly and we at the University of Sydney have a very large and established world-class health research and teaching operation in medicine. We are very keen to cooperate with Shenzhen across the range of disciplines,” said Spence.